- What is the housing situation like? Do a lot of students tend to get off campus housing or school sponsored?

- Class chemistry - I see on here that alot of law schools are like high school in the regard that they can become clique-y, just wanted to get your input.

- Since you're a 1L - how much workload can one expect going into their 1L to be above median?

- I'm mainly looking into USC because they have a very strong Entertainment Law program and are located in LA, the center of entertainment. Is looking to move into this field a realistic option? Even with USC being placed in such high regard, I typically see many posters saying Entertainment Law is the unicorn and generally a pipe dream.

I have a thousand and one other questions to ask, but just wanted to keep it short and simple so far for you. Hope to hear back soon!

sumtingwonghia wrote:Prospective student from the East Coast looking into USC.

- What is the housing situation like? Do a lot of students tend to get off campus housing or school sponsored?

- Class chemistry - I see on here that alot of law schools are like high school in the regard that they can become clique-y, just wanted to get your input.

- Since you're a 1L - how much workload can one expect going into their 1L to be above median?

- I'm mainly looking into USC because they have a very strong Entertainment Law program and are located in LA, the center of entertainment. Is looking to move into this field a realistic option? Even with USC being placed in such high regard, I typically see many posters saying Entertainment Law is the unicorn and generally a pipe dream.

I have a thousand and one other questions to ask, but just wanted to keep it short and simple so far for you. Hope to hear back soon!

I believe most people who were out of town chose to live at Terrace. Yes, it can get "clique-y." Your third question is a little tricky because some people studied all day but didn't get above median.

sumtingwonghia wrote:Prospective student from the East Coast looking into USC.

- What is the housing situation like? Do a lot of students tend to get off campus housing or school sponsored?

- Class chemistry - I see on here that alot of law schools are like high school in the regard that they can become clique-y, just wanted to get your input.

- Since you're a 1L - how much workload can one expect going into their 1L to be above median?

- I'm mainly looking into USC because they have a very strong Entertainment Law program and are located in LA, the center of entertainment. Is looking to move into this field a realistic option? Even with USC being placed in such high regard, I typically see many posters saying Entertainment Law is the unicorn and generally a pipe dream.

I have a thousand and one other questions to ask, but just wanted to keep it short and simple so far for you. Hope to hear back soon!

1) A lot out-of-state students will live in Terrace because it's easy and fully furnished. You're a 15-20 minute walk from the law school or a 5 minute bike ride. Many students will live close to campus in apartments or houses (north or west side of campus) or a lot live downtown in the new apartments that are nice, but a bit pricey. You can also live along the Expo Line Metro and live in Culver City or even Santa Monica (You can buy a USC metro pass that gives you unlimited rides for the semester).

2) USC Law is a small school so it feels a lot like a high school. Sections and super sections have classes together and y'all have lockers so it gets a bit clique-y. But, I think most law schools are like this since 1L classes/dynamics are pretty uniform across all schools.

3) Your performance and the time you put in are not linear nor is it uniform. The material will click with some people faster than others. Some people learn well in the library...others at home...some in groups. There's no magic formula. Study hard and learn how to write for each of your professors and you'll be fine.

4) Entertainment law seems to be mostly about relationships. Leveraging the Trojan network and USC's location close to Culver City (where a lot of studios are) and downtown LA will help a lot for this industry. It is a small practice area where you likely have to (1) go Big Law for a few years and then lateral into the industry; (2) go into a boutique small law firm ;or (3) make some great connections. Many students will get entertainment internships easy (HBO, Disney, etc). Some of these internships may turn into jobs, but it might be a long-game strategy rather than straight out of law school dream.

sumtingwonghia wrote:Prospective student from the East Coast looking into USC.

- What is the housing situation like? Do a lot of students tend to get off campus housing or school sponsored?

- Class chemistry - I see on here that alot of law schools are like high school in the regard that they can become clique-y, just wanted to get your input.

- Since you're a 1L - how much workload can one expect going into their 1L to be above median?

- I'm mainly looking into USC because they have a very strong Entertainment Law program and are located in LA, the center of entertainment. Is looking to move into this field a realistic option? Even with USC being placed in such high regard, I typically see many posters saying Entertainment Law is the unicorn and generally a pipe dream.

I have a thousand and one other questions to ask, but just wanted to keep it short and simple so far for you. Hope to hear back soon!

1) I lived in the USC law housing (terrace) but I'm from out of state. I really didn't like it- it feels like a dorm, if you can find other housing I would.

2) There are certain cliques I guess. But at the end of the day it's a professional school- not undergrad. Focus on what's important and not on the social groups. You'll meet good people, but you don't need to socialize with everyone.

3) It depends on what you mean by entertainment law. A ton of big law firms in LA have a lot of "entertainment clients" so you'll be surrounded by that but at the end of the day it seems the work is similar to any other big law work. Different groups and the school really push it but I don't see that manifest itself into flocks of "entertainment lawyers" graduating.

4) It honestly depends on your section. I finished around what is top 10% historically (though are median has changed so it's probably slightly below now) and don't feel like I did a ton of work. I did all the readings, I never took notes over them and I never read a case twice like I've heard some people say they do. Weekends when you have writing assignments and papers due will be crazy. The 2-3 weeks around finals I study 12-14 hours a day probably, but during the semester I just do the readings and go to every class (I only missed one all year). That pays dividends. It's about learning how to do a law school exam and not memorizing every detail and case. Your professor will tell you everything that's important. Get a good outline from a 2L or 3L, and really 1L doesn't have to be that crazy.

I love it here and really glad I made the choice. I have a large scholarship (all but 5k a year) but because of living expenses, I'm looking at around 90k debt and I think it was well worth it. Ask away or PM any questions.

Thank you guys for the responses, definitely super helpful. This next question is more admissions oriented so if you aren't able to answer that's fine! Based on your experiences, how generous was USC with scholarships and negotiations? I am currently between their 25-50% on GPA (3.6) and sitting right on their median LSAT (165). Is it premature to even be thinking about a scholarship from them when I should just be looking for admission? Going to USC at sticker is pretty steep.